The Second Coming
by Chain Mell
Summary: I suck at summaries but I will give you this: Fortuna may have abandoned the Order, but they had not abandoned their faith. Nero is more of an outcast than ever and he turned to Dante for reprieve. But things always went sour for Nero. YAOI X3
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had thought about this story randomly, and the way it should go. I only had a basic outline for this when I said I 'knew' how I wanted it to end. Now, I figured I needed to have a concrete back story to get this done. That **_**and**_** try to keep you in the dark at the same time. But oh well. I'll just have to see what happens.**

**SECONDLY~! I am very sorry for the disappearing act but I wasn't satisfied with the fic and how the first two chapters turned out. And since you've already read them…count them as spoilers. If you haven't…**

**(mwahahahaha…)**

_**Summary: 'Be careful what you ask for. You may just get it.' **_

_Where did it all go wrong?_ Nero sat on a bench near the church, hunched over and human hand raking through his waxen locks. It had been well over a year since the Savior Incident, and things were going somewhat smoothly - in regards to repairs, that is. The people of Fortuna still either looked down their noses at the half demon or scurried in the opposite direction. It had hurt a bit since he'd helped save their sorry asses, but it was to be expected: old habits _do_ die hard, after all. But that wasn't the issue. No, not at all.

Nero sighed tiredly, looking at the clock tower nearby. It was late, coming close to the curfew hours. There weren't many demons, and on nights like these he would have gladly called it one and hurried on home. However, nowadays, he wished time would slow down forever after sunset. That way he wouldn't have to go back to…_her._

The young hunter rubbed his eyes with his human arm almost guiltily. It wasn't something he wanted to do at any point in his life: bad mouth the only person in the whole city that didn't hassle him about his arm. But these days it was just borderline fucked. Up.

"_You what?" Nero asked, fork halfway to his mouth. It was late evening in Fortuna City and Nero was having dinner before going out on patrol. Kyrie stood behind the chair she usually sat in, looking at the teenaged hunter with an almost over hopeful glint in her eye._

"_I want us to have a baby!" She grinned, brown eyes alight with excitement._

_Nero put down his fork and leaned back in his chair. He averted his stare to some random spot on a nearby wall, thinking. He and Kyrie had been together ever since the Incident and, sure they'd come far considering what had happened and Nero's connection with it all. They'd been going steady before it all as well, but… They were still young and…_

_Ah hell, who was he kidding? _

"_That's all good, Kyrie," Nero started slowly, carefully. "But you know it wouldn't work."_

_He almost felt physical pain at the fall of her face. "What do you mean it won't work?"_

"_I'm part demon, Kyrie," Nero sighed, raising his right arm. "That's more than enough not to go through with it. It's not that I _don't_ want a kid. I-," he cut himself off, not wanting to go further._

He'd spent longer nights away from home, in Fortuna Castle where Kyrie was permitted to stay, and by extreme reluctance, Nero; but only by the behest of Kyrie, of course. Nero hadn't felt that he could face Kyrie after breaking her heart like that. She absolutely adored children, and Nero wouldn't mind teaching his own the art of the sword and how to handle a gun.

But things only sunk from there. Kyrie had been a little bummed out but seemed to bounce back. Although she wasn't one hundred percent cheery as she used to be around him, she still made the effort. Nero was still tense about the situation. He hated not being able to give Kyrie everything she could ask for, and that was a promise he made to himself.

But something so simple…And he couldn't give it. That's what she had wanted. A kid. But, Nero couldn't handle that. Of course he wanted Kyrie to bear his children but given the life that he'd led, he couldn't put a child who wasn't at fault through that type of lifestyle. It was trouble enough for him to be a half demon with people looking down their noses at him or scurrying away in fear even after he'd put his own life on the line. And Nero prided himself on being a hard-ass.

The half demon rose, the scent of a horde of scarecrows drawing him partially out of his memory. He needed something to take his mind off his dilemma. Even if it created another, namely a good fifteen to thirty minute nag and accuse: a routine that had seemed to adopt itself into the 'family.'

Nero sighed and hefted Red Queen to settle atop his left shoulder, finally done with the small horde of demons that had decided to plague the downtown Fortuna area. Patrol was what he did for a living now, and wasn't paid much for it. But he had figured that as long as Kyrie and everyone else was safe, that was enough. But the ungrateful bitches and bastards didn't seem to appreciate it. Even Kyrie started complaining.

"_Nero, you're hardly ever home anymore! Why don't you spend more time with me? Stop putting your job before me, aren't we supposed to be a couple? I bet if you'd just give me a child you'd be around more often."_

Women were such whiny pains in the ass. And so were kids, now that he thought about it.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, he spotted a group of kids running by, who just stopped each to flip the bird at him.

And this was supposed to be a religious place.

Nero only snorted and debated whether to scare the little bastards or continue on his way. Thinking that the latter was his best alternative, he made his way toward the other side of the city like he did six months ago when demons first ran around terrorizing the town. Even if he only traveled the area twice, he remembered the path like it was the back of his human hand.

The sun had set long before and he gladly wandered into the desert the forest had become. Some parts of the forest had remained, held up by the lingering auras of the demonic corpses left behind to rot. Nero charged for the greenest area he could find, eager to scour it's fifty mile expanse for a good fight or a good nap. Whichever came first.

Apparently a nap was the best option, so Nero settled himself beneath a tree and closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wander. And who should his mind touch on first?

Dante, the stupid old geezer.

Nero smirked, mentally rolling his eyes at the memory of when they first met.

_Nero sensed the other's presence behind him, and smirked. He glanced over his shoulder to see the man in red holding a large broadsword over his right shoulder, back turned and gazing around nonchalantly._

_"I guess this doesn't quite cut it," he mused aloud, holstering Blue Rose and yanking a mechanical sword out of the ground. He whirled around, jamming the tip into the ground once more, twisting the handle to rev the built-in engine._

_"What's the point of packing a sword like that if you aren't even gonna use it?"_

_Dante had finally turned around, hand on his waist. He held up Rebellion as if inspecting it before turning it down the same way Nero held his, twisting the hilt mockingly._

Nero's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. That never stopped bugging him everytime he thought about it. Dante had openly mocked his mechanical expertise. Even so, he still found himself putting Dante on some sort of pedestal. He looked up to him, now as a role model of sorts. The man was talented and skilled. Nero could admit that much, albeit grudgingly.

Nero idly wondered again if they would meet one more some day. Besides, Dante was the first one who didn't flinch at the sight of his arm. The twenty-one year old cracked open an eye to look at his Bringer, huffing in disgust. That was the source of all his problems right there. That stupid Bringer. He knew of curses that turned humans into demons. If he even dared to dream of it, there may be some demons who conjured up the worst hexes for their own kind: turning a demon into a human. The white haired youth couldn't help the grin that hit his face at the thought but it soon changed into a wistful smile. If there were such a curse he'd gladly get caught in the crossfire. Just to be fully human again.

That's all he ever wanted...

**!~!~!~!~!~!**

The crystal ball before his eyes clouded over, the smoke twisting and contorting until a face appeared to him.

"Kaida," the face greeted none too politely. The face was gaunt and old, but made strong with the look of pure austerity and authority. Kaida, the beckoned one, leaned his face forward into the only light in the room provided by the glass ball which sat upon the table.

"Your Holiness," he returned reverently.

"Is my body ready?" The old man asked, clearly impatient.

"No, my lord," Kaida replied. His gray eyes held every ounce of remorse that he felt. "There have been...complications...with the fulfillment of your request."

"Which are..."

"You _do_ realize Alchemy-"

"-Can not be used to recreate life." Sanctus cut in, his patience wearing thin. "But Necromancy can."

"Necromancy can only reanimate," Kaida informed him easily. "Your sudden reappearance would not be wise, and quite impossible, Your Holiness. You must be born again in order to walk the earth once more."

"Born again?" The face of Sanctus gathered a confused and angry look. "Speak English, Kaida. It's a blessing that you don't stutter foolishly like your mentor but please do put him to shame with your ability to speak plainly as well. And what do you mean by impossible? Many have been brought back with the power of necromancy. How should this be any different?"

"Well, if you were to come back as you are, you would need a body - your body- which had been destroyed after you had taken over the Savior's. You need a mechanical body and it's far too difficult and time consuming to forge a human one to affix your soul to it in time." Kaida sat back in his seat, removing brown hair from his eyes and glasses. "Therefore you must return to the womb before you can come back."

"And waste countless years before I can win my position in Sparda's good graces?" Sanctus roared.

Kaida, Agnus' protégé, held his hands up in acquiescence. "Let me finish, Your Holiness."

Sanctus grudgingly remained silent.

"If I can find a woman to bear you as her child, the combination of what my research has yielded and dark magic, you can mature to your current age and be whole again."

Far below in the depths of hell, Sanctus was held out of view by golden fingerless gloved hands as another with his visage took his place to speak with the alchemist. The former priest struggled vainly to get away, only to have the grip around his body secured seven fold.

"How long until you find this woman?" the demon holding Sanctus queried.

"That is undetermined, Your Holiness," the man in the mirror stated.

The demon growled. "Well, hurry up. This is taking too long as it is."

"Yes, Your Holiness."

The mirror was then concealed by the darkness that surrounded the demon and Sanctus. The demon's face returned to normal and he let go of the former priest.

"You!" The priest gasped, having not seen the face of his captor. "You're-" The rest of what he had to say was cut off abruptly as his body imploded and the demon dropped his lifeless body to the ground.

Red eyes looked on gleefully, a morbid smile gracing his human features.

**!~!~!~!~!~!~! **

Kyrie glanced around the church, smiling forlornly at the children gathered around her. The kids always adored her and her kindness, sometimes would ask their parents out of the blue to spend the day with her if she happened to pass by. Kyrie loved children. She loved them almost as much as she loved her brother Credo and there was no denying it.

"Miss Kyrie! Miss Kyrie!" The children all called to her, every single one vying for her attention. Sometimes Kyrie would imagine them calling her 'mother' just to try to fill the void inside of her. She knew it wouldn't work out with Nero. He was already worried that she wouldn't want him because he was a demon. Having a child with her that could possibly a half devil like him would have obviously been a worry as well. Not to mention the meeting with Dante. She'd lost the battle right then and there. Even when they were about to kiss and were interrupted by the horde of demons who had shown up. She saw the inner battle he was having. It was right there in his eyes, just like every emotion he felt. He could tell a smooth lie, but the truth would be right there: in his blue eyes.

"Can you tell us a story, Aunt Kyrie?" One of the little boys asked her. That's what they had called her if it wasn't Miss Kyrie. They would call her Auntie and so she had countless nieces and nephews wreaking havoc in the houses of many. It was enough to make her smile.

She was barely done with her story when the parents had started calling the children off one by one, smiling at the singer politely. The red haired girl watched them all leave, a heavy sigh leaving her as she placed a hand over her belly. All she wanted was a child...

"Having certain thoughts, Miss Kyrie?" a somewhat familiar voice came from behind her. She dropped her hand and whirled around to see none other than Kaida, the palace's alchemist standing there as if it were the most normal thing in the entire world.

Kyrie tossed a glance over her shoulder as one of the children called out a squeaky farewell to her. The singer waved and smiled before turning back to the brown haired man behind her.

"Doesn't every woman dream of having children of her own?"

She and Kaida weren't exactly friends but they knew each other well enough to hold a decent conversation that wasn't clipped or strained.

"And possibly with the lover of their dreams," Kaida shrugged, tossing an arm around the slender woman's shoulder. He grinned wolfishly at her.

Kyrie could only roll her eyes. "Keep dreaming, Kaida." She may have a soft heart but she did have sense, contrary to everyone else's beliefs. But she didn't remove the arm off her shoulder.

"Alas," the alchemist said, feigning misery with the back of his free hand to his forehead. "the curse of not having everything we want."

Kyrie laughed demurely with the back of a hand to her lips.

"Credo has often mentioned you having a soft spot for children," he said conversationally as they began their walk toward the castle.

Kyrie had been able to live with the people of the Order after the incident in humble respect to her brother Credo. She was treated no differently than she had been while the swordsman was alive and had others cowering in fear of him. The castle had become her home and that's how it had been to this day.

"I knew he spoke of me," Kyrie said, eyebrow raised. "But not that much."

"That is why I'm offering you the opportunity of a lifetime, Miss Kyrie," Kaida said, his tone serious and not lighthearted as it had been. "Out of respect for your dream and your brother, I'm proposing the opportunity to have a child without a mate."

Kyrie looked at the alchemist dubiously.

"I'm not asking for an instant response, Miss Kyrie. Just think on it and when you've made your decision let me know."

Later that night, Kyrie sat on her bedside with a hand absently stroking her stomach. She felt light headed with excitement and anxiety. She wanted a child and this was her chance to have one. She was more than capable of raising one on her own. Her life may not be exactly complete but she would be happy. All she wanted was a child.

The red head looked up at the ceiling. "Brother, what should I do?"

Three days later she met Kaida speaking to the Priest. When they were done, the alchemist walked over to her.

"Miss Kyrie," he greeted, a small note of surprise in his voice. "What brings you here?"

Kyrie walked with the man through the halls of the castle, his arm slung casually around her shoulder.

"Remember the offer you gave me?" she asked, carefully avoiding eye contact with the alchemist.

"Have you decided your course of action?" Kaida asked, his tone indicating that she could back out if she wished. Kyrie heaved a hefty sigh and looked at the brown haired man.

"I've decided," she said, eyes set with determination. "I'll do it."

Somewhere in the depths of hell, red eyes shone with unsuppressed glee.

**A/N: Yes, to those who had read this all already, I only EXTREMELY edited it. Okay, fine, I added a little more. Six, typed pages at your disposal. And so sad to see my reviews go… But I took this down and reposted. Just to start fresh.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just so you'd all know, this is purely done for the sake of my lifetime entertainer the authoress bitbyboth. If it weren't for her help, well...yeah.**

**NOW! Normally I'd do weekly updates but I'm slowly -and surely- getting back into the writing scheme of things. So updates will come when I see fit (no offense). I have no beta reader and I shall not be held responsible for issues which were to be dealt with by the nonexistent spell check.**

**ON TO THE STORY!**

* * *

Nero lazily sheathed _Red Queen_ onto his back, his arm dropping heavily to his side. The white haired hunter's jaw popped in several places with a rather large yawn. Why the hell was he so tired these days? And it wasn't the first time he'd experienced not-called-for fatigue, either. Not even the second or third. It had been happening for _months_. He hadn't eaten anything much since his body seemed to favor sleep rather than food, and his belly felt chronically empty.

_I need a vacation_.

He could only roll his eyes at himself, frowning as he forced open his eyes as they seemed to close on their own. blinking furiously back into full wakefulness, Nero unholstered _Blue Rose_ in case he needed a quick defense mechanism on the way back to the castle to Kyrie. Living in Fortuna Castle wasn't all that bad, actually. There was a church right in there and that's where the people gathered to hear Kyrie sing. She didn't really have to leave the place, but only if she wanted to.

Nero's brows furrowed as he continued his 'homeward' bound journey. Come to think of it, Kyrie hardly left the castle these days, preferring to stay in their living quarters until she saw fit to emerge. It raised red flags in his head but he ignored them. Sure, he knew Kyrie could be devious when she got ready but it wasn't anything of the sort.

He trusted her.

...Even if she disappeared at odd moments to only God knew where.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine, a puddle of something cold pooling at the small of his back. Even if he wasn't feeling the same toward her as he'd thought he'd felt, he couldn't let himself think that she'd cheated. She wouldn't do that to him...right?

_"I bet you'd give me a child if you'd be around more often."_

Oh for Christ's sake!

Nero ran his human hand over his face before pinching his nosebridge. Stress at twenty one wasn't kosher. Not at all.

* * *

Far below in the pits of hell, red eyes were drawn nearly to slits as the demon reclined languidly in his chamber. He felt his strength leaving slowly, gathered and extracted as energy for his new being. The woman, Kyrie, as Kaida so named her, had been doing well.

A dark hole opened in the clouded space before him, forming into the thin framed mirror that usually appeared when the alchemist called upon him.

"Your Holiness," the brown haired man beckoned, his angular face appearing into the glass. The demon's face contorted and formed the old and wrinkled features of the dead priest as he moved lazily into view.

"Kaida."

"I am pleased to inform you that your body is well on its way and that Kyrie should be expecting your 'birth' in a matter of months."

"And of Yamato?" The demon had often queried the whereabouts of the sword, his only key to opening the Hell Gate.

"The boy still possesses it, Your Holiness," Kaida said. The demon growled, looking off to the side as if in thought whilst Kaida murmured on. "But he has not utilized its power since it was given to him by _Dante_."

The demon felt the bitterness that was also in the voice of the faithful alchemist as he fairly hissed the name. Damn that Dante Sparda for his interference.

"Do you want the boy to be apprehended, Sire?" Kaida asked. The demon looked back at the young man with the aged eyes of the priest, contemplating his answer carefully. His return would take some amount of time even after he was 'born' and so much power running through him at such an early stage would no doubt backfire on his efforts.

"No," he decided. "Leave the child be, but keep him close." The demon met Kaida's eyes and he paused for a brief moment. "I want you to begin the process."

"So soon?" Kaida asked with a look of mild surprise. "But you have at least another four months before-"

"Only in small doses, Kaida." The demon nearly growled in the voice of Sanctus. "Let the pieces fall where they may, but matters of my body must proceed as planned."

"Yes, Your Holiness."

The demon turned his back, the mirror becoming prisoner to the surrounding misty area. He returned to his seat, relaxing his body and letting his red eyes fall to half mast. He wanted the boy close, yes, to make sure that Yamato stayed within the boundaries of Fortuna. As long as Dante was out of the picture then his efforts would not have been in vain. Should the half blood come to interfere whatsoever...He'd deal with that when the time came. But for now...

He waited.

* * *

_It had been ages since he'd had a proper night's sleep and now was the best time ever to compensate._

_Nero tossed Red Queen into a random corner, upholstering Blue Rose and dropping it carelessly onto the nightstand. He winced lazily, belatedly remembering that Kyrie was in the room also, dead to the world as is. The half devil sighed, looking down at his clothes in disgust. Why did he wear so much clothes? He grumbled and raved mentally, hand and Bringer working in lethargic tandem as they worked the newfound complications that were his clothes._

_It took a few mintues, and three sleepy dives but he was finally down to his boxers as he slipped into bed behind Kyrie. He wrapped his human arm around her waist, falling asleep before it so much as hovered over her._

_Once he was deeply asleep, Kyrie turned over to face him, determined gleam in her eye._

_One month later, Kyrie nearly gave Nero a heart attack._

_"I'm pregnant!" The songstress never looked happier._

_Nero never felt so damned scared in his entire life._

**Months later...**

Kyrie sat beside the window in her room, absently stroking the swell beneath her white frock, smiling lightly and a bit sardonically at the situation. She wasn't exactly pure if she was pregnant, regardless of the lack of mate. She'd gotten the dress remade, making the middle of it expandable so as to not arouse any suspicion around Nero. It had been about five months since she had agreed to go along with Kaida's proposal, going in periodically for checkups to make sure her unborn child was still safe and healthy.

Hazel eyes shifted their gaze to the bump under her hand, a crease of worry forming between her slender brows. No matter how much she knew the child was hers and not Nero's it would be nice if she could just pretend that it belonged to him also...

Kyrie sighed despondently as her thoughts strayed to Nero. He had seemed much paler than usual lately, always returning home bone tired and barely speaking a word of acknowledgement. He just showered and slept. It would be childish of her to think that he was purposely avoiding her, but it wasn't as if Fortuna was overrun with demons as of late.

Pushing the more depressing thoughts aside, as it was not doing her nor the baby any good, her rosy lips parted in song as she sang softly to the unborn child.

_"The Lord bless you and keep you..._

_The Lord lift His countenance upon you..._

_And give you peace...and give you peace..._

_The Lord make His face to shine upon you._

_And be gracious [unto you...] and be gracious~_

_The Lord be gracious, gracious unto you..."_

A soft knock gave her pause and she called a gentle 'Come in,' knowing who it was.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kyrie," Kaida greeted. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

* * *

Nero bent over backward as far as his spine would allow, wincing and grunting at the popping joints in his back. The mornig sun seemed to glare sinfully at him through the parted curtains. It had been months since he started to feel slightly...old, for lack of a better word. He felt less energetic and even the simplest of hunting missions seemed to tire him a little too much.

It was time to go out and face his pregnant girlfriend. He was still skeptical about that cock and bull story Kyrie gave him. But the fact that they both woke naked with Kyrie plastered to him was almost reason enough. But he didn't smell the sex lingering anywhere in the sheets, much less the entire room. And there was no way, obsessive compulsive or not, would anyone change sheets, and disenfect a room and yet curl up in bed in the _nude_ after all of that.

It just wasn't done.

But in the end, the woman was pregnant. If it wasn't for him then who for? It's not like he could deny the evidence that Kyrie brought forth. Especially the big lump sticking out of her like circular erection. But he'd sworn to her that he'd care for her. But the bright side of it all was that as long as the child wasn't his, it wasn't a demon and could live a healthy lifestyle - for the most part.

Kyrie was well along, in her eigth month and big as a whale. But he couldn't tell her that. A regular scorned woman was enough to fear. A pregnant one was liable to commit murder.

Five times.

The white haired twenty one year old sighed. Kyrie's side of the bed was quite empty. It must have taken her ages to get up. That in itself told him that he was out of it. He would have gotten up at the slightest sound or movement in the room.

Odd.

Nero merely shrugged and slugged out of bed. That was when his nose woke up. Kyrie was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. The scent seemed to jar his stomach awake, and he doubled over slightly. The gas in there was just borderline unbearable. He knew Kyrie shouldn't be up and down too much at this stage, but he couldn't be moe greatful for her tencacity to be walking around and just doing _something_.

After a quick shower, Nero ambled intothe small kitchen and bit Kyrie good morning with a chaste kiss to her cheek. She returned it with a small smile before handing Nero his plate. He murmured his thanks and turned to leave when the smashing of a dish and the dim sound of water hitting the floor reached his ears.

He whirled around, plate forgotten on the nearest surface.

"Kyrie!"

The songstress turned wide eyes toward the hunter. "My water broke..."

* * *

Nero wisely surrendered his devil bringer into Kyrie's hand. He knew what laboring women did to a man's hand. Not that he'd admit to being the father of this child. He'd believe it when he saw it for himself.

"Alright, Ms. Kyrie," Kaida soothed, standing in front of her parted legs. He darted a heated look at the half devil standing beside her. Nero caught the gaze and raised an eyebrow.

Kaida cut the look and urged Kyrie to push.

"Give me a big push," he said, looking at the head under the sheet.

Kyrie heaved and screamed, her hand turning white with the strain put on it as she squeezed Nero's bringer. Nero winced as he thought about how his human hand would have crumpled under the pressure. He actually felt a slight twinge in his demon scaled hand and cast a slightly disturbed look at the songstress. There was no way that his bringer should have really and truly felt that.

"One more, Kyrie," Kaida urged gently. "The head's almost out."

Nero looked at the brunette; her face was deathly pale and he wondered at her. She looked too weak for comfort, and it tugged at his heart. He still loved her, deep down. And they did say that a tooth ache was the second most horrible pain to experience.

Child birth was the most painful.

While lost in thought, Nero started when Kyrie's grip suddenly slackened.

Then a wail arose.

"Congratulations, Ms. Ky-," Kaida stopped short, fear for the baby's life the only thing keeping his hands steady. He quickly recovered his composure and masked his confusion before covering the top of the baby's head and walking around to hand the baby over to Kyrie.

"It's a boy," Kaida declared softly, not trusting his own voice. He glanced briefly at Nero before mumbling something and quickly taking his leave.

Nero leaned over to take a peek at the bundle of tears just as Kyrie swiftly quieted the newborn. The boy's slightly wrinkled features calmed and he opened his eyes. The babe twisted its head to and fro until he shook his head free of the white blanket. Cloth gone, it revealed thin wisps of snow white hair and a pair of vivid blue eyes.

* * *

_"I'm still alive but I'm barely breathin'..."_

The melodious voice bounced off the walls of Devil May Cry, as today was a slow day. Perfect for reclining in a wooden chair and munching on microwaved pizza.

"'Cause I got time while she's gomph sheeeduuuhm..." the rest of the words were garbled as Dante shoved another slice into his mouth and chewing happily. Trish could only look at her partner and shake her head helplessly. It was as if the male hunter was a teenager in an adult's body half the time.

Dante looked up at her, feeling her intense gaze. He swallowed and offered her the bitten slice that was in his hand. "Want some?"

Trish just gave him a look and continued playing her one-man game of pool. Dante merely shrugged and continued to hum the song, this time deliberately off-key just to spite Trish. Although, he paid for it with a bullet to the head.

"What the fuck, Lady?" He said, looking at his pizza mournfully after he came to a few seconds later. There was only one kind of red sauce he allowed on his pizza and blood was most definitely _not_ it.

"If you're gonna sing, do it properly," the brown haired human hunter blew the smoke from the barrel of her shotgun, staring Dante down with a challenge.

Dante flipped her the bird and got a...not so much as a new but different...slice of pizza from the greasy box. "Not my fault you never heard of a radio all your life."

At that moment the shop phone rang. All three hunters looked at the item strangely before Dante finally slammed his free fist onto the table, the receiver jumping to meet the now open hand.

"Devil May Cry," he said, nearly too chipper. Almost immediately he had to hold the receiver at arm's length to save his poor eardrum whilst some crazed lady screeched from the other side.

"Okay, okay, lady," he placated the frantic woman. "Calm down and tell me where it is." He hummed affirmatives as he took down the address to the point of disturbance, ripping the yellow sheet of paper out of the pad and handing it to Lady. After hanging up, he leaned back with his feet propped up on the table. "Demons in Fiori. I think it's a horde of scarecrows and Fausts. Nothing you two can't handle."

_Just get the living fuck out of my shop,_ he thought grimly. If he was going to have a slow day he wanted to be bored out of his mind _alone _or with someone else other than those two. He saw them more than enough times during the week when they came to collect their 'dues.'

"You're not coming with?" Trish asked, a golden brow raised in mild surprise. "I thought you were bored shitless with no missions to take on."

Dante shrugged. "Wanted to be generous."

"In other words you wanted to give us a mission that paid well which was directed to you so we wouldn't drop in to collect," Lady said, hoisting Kalina Ann to sling it over her shoulder. Trish had gotten Ombra and Lucifer and was already by the door.

"You make it sound so...completely correct," Dante said, still munching on his cold pizza. "Now get your asses in gear and leave my damned shop."

Both women couldn't help but laugh at their friend's antics as they left for the day's drive to the other city.

Dante heaved a sigh of relief, opening a drawer in his desk and slapping a dirty magazine over his face to block out the shop lights. He so wanted to sleep today. But circumstances had him awake and alert for any unexpected and uncalled for attacks from not so stray bullets.

With a sigh, the red leather wearing half demon let his thoughts wander. Yes, he thought a lot, contrary to common belief.

He just didn't do it in public.

He felt a pinprick of remorse as he thought about the mission he so readily gave to the two money grubbing bitches he called friends, bemoaning the loss of the twenty grand reward.

_I wonder how the kid's holding up_.

Yes, he was a weird individual and he'd admit it openly if asked. His mind would flit from subject to subject and never stop until someone decided to speak to him.

His mind idly wandered back to the Saviour Incident back in Fortuna. It was an interesting place, to say the least, that island. He liked the style somewhat: gothic buildings and an entire village that looked like it came straight from the 1800's. And the other kid who looked something like him. What was his name again?

Ah, Nero.

He wondered how the obnoxious spitfire was getting along. He was fun to fight; nevermind that Dante had to retain his Trigger during the fight in Sanctus' chambers. Seemed that if the kid worked a little harder, he could have been a potential partner in this business. And hopefully he wouldn't be as greedy as the Lady and Trish.

Then again he had that singer girl with him.

Dante felt the left side of his lip curl. He didn't like the air around that woman from the moment he met her. Even if she looked all innocent and doe-eyed. But it wasn't his place to interfere, and he wasn't being paid to, in the first place.

The ringing phone snapped him out of his thoughts and he raised a brow at it. The day must be looking up.

"Devil May Cry," he drawled.

"Dante."

The half devil frowned, not quite able to put a face to the familiar voice on the other end.

"That's my name," Dante continued, wanting to listen to the other person a little more.

But the person never said anything else. Just hung up.

Dante held the beeping receiver in front of his face, befuddled. But he shrugged, still mildly disturbed. Stranger things had happened in his lifetime.

* * *

**A bit choppy, yes. However, it needed to be done and gotten out of the way [looks at bitty]. Now that it's done...I can actually move forward. Although, updates may be slow in coming still. Glad you stuck with me [if you did] and I promise not to show up in your inbox out of the blue like this too often. ^^; Please, tell me what you think!**


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